# harmless

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈhɑːmləs/ · frequency rank #9,757

## Definitions
1. Incapable of causing harm or danger; safe.
2. Not intended to harm; inoffensive.
3. Unharmed.

## Etymology
From Middle English harmles, from Old English *hearmlēas, from Proto-Germanic *harmalausaz (“without harm; harmless”), equivalent to harm + -less.
Cognate with German harmlos (“harmless”), Danish harmløs (“harlmess”), Swedish harmlös (“harmless”).

## Easily confused with
- **harness** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harmless-vs-harness)
- **heartless** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harmless-vs-heartless)
- **hapless** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hapless-vs-harmless)
- **hardness** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardness-vs-harmless)
- **hairless** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hairless-vs-harmless)
- **Harkness** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harkness-vs-harmless)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ahrmless`, `hamrless`, `harlmess`, `harmelss`, `harmles`, `harmlless`, `harmlses`, `harmmless`, `harrmless`, `hharmless`, `hramless`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/harmless